Crowley, LA - JMU sweeps the weekend to extend their win streak to 6 games and have won 15 of their last 17 games.
Game 1: JMU 9 - Texas A&M 1
The Millers jumped out to an early lead in Game 1 and never looked back. Texas A&M hit a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning to take an early 1-0 lead, but JMU took it right back after Connor Pleasant walked to start the game and Kole Sonnier promptly tied the game with an RBI double; Kade Massey would then single up the middle to give the Millers a 2-1 lead. JMU would never look back, scoring 3 in the 2nd, 1 in the 4th, and 3 in the 5th inning. Connor Pleasant hit his 2nd home run of the year, a 2-run home run in the 2nd to give JMU a 4-1 lead.
For the second weekend in a row, Taylor Walters set a JMU single-game record in Game 1 of the series. Walters set the single-game stolen base record with 4 stolen bases in the game while reaching base 3 times and scoring twice.
Troy Morel picked up his team-leading 4th win of the season in Game 1 after working 5 strong innings. After surrendering the solo shot in the 1st, Morel would allow just 1 hit and no runs over the next 4 innings. Morel backed up his record-breaking 11-strikeout game last weekend with an impressive 10-strikeout performance this weekend. Peyton Ford entered the game and threw the final 2 innings to close out the JMU win. Ford allowed just 1 hit, no runs, and picked up 3 strikeouts in his 2 innings of work.
2B: Kole Sonnier, Noah Watkins
HR: Connor Pleasant
SB: Taylor Walters (4), Connor Pleasant (2), Jonah Callais, Noah Watkins
Win: Troy Morel (4-1)
Game 2: JMU 5 - Texas A&M 4
JMU picked up their 2nd walk-off win of the season in the latter half of the doubleheader. Game 2 started off the same way as the previous game, Texas A&M hit a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Once again, the Millers responded in the bottom of the 1st after Connor Pleasant singled up the middle to open the game and Kole Sonnier drives his 5th home run of the year over the left field wall to give the Millers a 2-1 lead. Shilon Christmas would add on in the bottom of the 1st with a groundball to score Joe Teuton IV and give JMU a 3-1 lead. The middle innings of Game 2 would go back and forth, leading to a 4-4 score heading into the bottom of the 7th inning. With 2 outs in the inning, Kole Sonnier send his 2nd home run of the day over the center field wall to send the Millers home with a win in walk-off fashion.
Freshman Dane Mallon got his 2nd start of the season in Game 2 and earned a no-decision after throwing 4.1 innings and exiting the game with a 4-4 tie. Brandon Duraso finished the game in relief and picked up his 3rd win of the season. Duraso threw 2.2 innings in relief, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 4 Aggie batters.
HR: Kole Sonnier (2)
SB: Kole Sonnier (2), Shilon Christmas (2), Joe Teuton IV, Trystin Gilbert
Win: Brandon Duraso (3-1)
Game 3: JMU 8 - Texas A&M 7
For the 2nd game in a row, John Melvin went home as walk-off winners. Game 3 started off the same way as each of the 2 previous games, Texas A&M hit a home run in the top of the first inning to take an early lead; this time a 2-run shot to take an early 2-0 lead. Game 3 looked to be all Aggies through the first 6 innings of the game. JMU cracked the scoreboard in the 2nd inning after Jonah Callais singled in Noah Watkins to cut the Texas A&M lead to 2-1. The Aggies would extend their lead to 7-1 by the 5th inning before the Miller offense would start their comeback. The JMU offense would score 2 in the bottom of the 5th after Trevor Durr singled in Connor Pleasant and Dylan Jiminez scored on a Kade Massey groundball. JMU tied the game with a 4-run 6th inning. Connor Pleasant reached on an error by the Texas A&M 3rd baseman, scoring Jonah Callais; Dylan Jiminez sent a ball off the left-field wall for a double that scored Caleb Ougel and Connor Pleasant; and Trevor Durr singled to right field to score Dylan Jiminez as the tying run; 3 straight at-bats to score 4 runs and tie the game. After a scoreless 7th inning, the game would enter the bottom of the 8th inning still tied at 7-7. Dylan Jiminez got on base via the walk for the Millers and Trevor Durr was intentionally walked to bring up Kade Massey with 1 out and runners on 1st and 3rd. It took Massey just one pitch to end the game as Massey sent the first pitch of the at-bat to the center field wall to score Dylan Jiminez and send the Millers home with a series sweep.
Cabet Blanchard started Game 3 for his 2nd start of the season. Blanchard threw 4 innings in the start, allowing 4 earned runs and striking out 3 Aggie batters. Willy Flynn entered the game in relief in the 5th inning and worked 2 inning out of the pen, allowing 1 run and striking out 3 batters. Kole Sonnier picked up his 1st win of the season after throwing the 7th inning and the extra 8th inning before the walk-off. Sonnier threw 2 innings, faced the minimum 6 batters, and sent 5 of them back to the dugout via the strikeout.
2B: Andrew Ashby, Dylan Jiminez, Kade Massey
SB: Andrew Ashby, Noah Watkins
Win: Kole Sonnier (1-0)
The Millers will be back in action on Thursday in Alvin, Texas with a doubleheader matchup against South Suburban College.
